STEM AmeriCorps

"I'm
proud to announce... a new AmeriCorps program that’s going to connect
more professional scientists and engineers to young students who might
follow in their footsteps."
– President Barack Obama, White House Science Fair, April 22, 2013
Background
In
2009, President Obama launched “Educate to Innovate,” a nationwide
effort to move American students from the middle to the top of the pack
in science and math achievement over the next decade. A growing number
of jobs require STEM skills, and America needs a world-class STEM
workforce to address the challenges of the 21st century.
In
response to this national need, the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) has placed a priority on using national service
to spur greater interest by K-12 students in the STEM professions
(science, technology, engineering, and math).
In April, 2013 at the White House Science Fair, President Obama announced
STEM AmeriCorps,
a multi-year initiative to place hundreds of AmeriCorps members in
nonprofits across the country to inspire young people to excel in STEM
education.
STEM AmeriCorps advances the goals of the President’s
Task Force on Expanding National Service
to build public private partnerships that expand opportunities for
Americans to serve and increase the impact citizens have on our
communities and nation.
Goals
The goals of STEM AmeriCorps are to:
- Improve academic performance and engagement in STEM coursework for K-12 students
- Increase
the number of students on track to graduate ready for college and for
careers in STEM fields, including those populations who typically
participate at lower rates
- Spark the imagination and interest of students to pursue STEM careers
By
strengthening STEM education for students, especially those from
low-income backgrounds, STEM AmeriCorps is sparking greater interest in
math and science and building ladders of opportunity these students
might otherwise never have.
STEM AmeriCorps is also helping our
nation compete for the jobs and industries of the future by encouraging
more students to go into STEM professions.
STEM AmeriCorps: Partnerships in Action
Whether
through engaging STEM professionals as mentors, increasing the number
of STEM teachers and teacher support services in the classroom, or
creating a community of makers, STEM AmeriCorps is improving the level
of STEM education in America. Here are examples of STEM AmeriCorps in
action:
STEM AmeriCorps VISTA Southern Initiative: In
the summer of 2014, as part of a majo expansion of STEM AmeriCorps,
CNCS will place 256 AmeriCorps VISTA members in six Southern states:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and West
Virginia. These AmeriCorps VISTAS members will connect approximately
18,000 at-risk students in low-performing schools to STEM opportunities.
The AmeriCorps members will serve with community groups, educational
institutions, and corporate sponsors that are committed to sharing their
expertise to inspire new discovery and increase the students’ chances
for academic achievement. This initiative will make it possible for
students to learn about and build robots, engage with community members
to solve challenging STEM tasks, write code that will be uploaded to the
International Space Station, participate in a “scientist-for-a-day”
program that explores various careers, and learn about food production.
US2020:
Led by US2020, seven American cities are launching new campaigns this
year to connect passionate STEM employees from local companies to
students in their region, including: Allentown, PA; Chicago, IL;
Indianapolis, IN; Research Triangle Park, NC; Philadelphia, PA; San
Francisco, CA; and Wichita, KS. Sponsored by Cisco and launched at last
year’s White House Science Fair, the US2020 City Competition challenged
cities to develop innovative models for scaling STEM mentorship for
young students in STEM, particularly for girls, underrepresented
minorities, and children from low-income families. CNCS partnered with
US2020 and Citizen Schools to support 25 AmeriCorps VISTA members, an
investment of more than $550,000, to do the important work of engaging
communities in this STEM mentoring initiative. Fifteen of these
capacity-builders will serve in the winning cities, while 10 will
support efforts nationwide. The long-term goal of US2020 is to mobilize
1 million STEM mentors annually by the year 2020. Partners include
Cisco, Cognizant, Raytheon, SanDisk, Tata Consultancy Services, Chevron,
and Discovery Communications.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST
AmeriCorps VISTA members serve in low income communities across the
country and inspire an appreciation of STEM subjects in young people
through FIRST robotics competitions. A focus on bringing FIRST programs
to under-represented populations within these communities makes it
possible for more students to be exposed to STEM activities. AmeriCorps
VISTA members recruit volunteers and support the teams of students in
the competitions.
Citizen Schools: As a part of
its Science and Technology Initiative, Citizen Schools deploys full-time
AmeriCorps members to narrow the achievement gap by expanding the
learning day. AmeriCorps members lead hands-on learning activities in
intensive extended-day programs that partner with high-need middle
schools across eight states. Members also recruit volunteers to share
their experience and expertise with students by teaching engaging
“apprenticeship” courses.
Maker Education Initiative: The
Maker Education Initiative is utilizing AmeriCorps VISTA members to
develop thriving Maker Hubs within ten high poverty urban and rural
communities. The Maker AmeriCorps VISTA program increases opportunities
for high poverty youth to engage in making activities that ultimately
increase academic engagement in each Hub.
Teach for America STEM Initiative: Teach
for America has created a targeted STEM initiative that is designed to
recruit, train and support Teach for America AmeriCorps members with
backgrounds in these fields to become effective STEM educators and
leaders in the classroom, especially in low income rural and urban
communities. Today, Teach for America is one of the largest providers of
STEM teachers in the country.
More Information
Contact
CNCS
is looking to generate large scale impact for STEM education through
public-private partnerships to offer engaging educational programs for
students nationwide. If you have questions or would like discuss
potential partnerships, please contact:
Rosa Moreno-Mahoney
Senior Advisor, Partnerships and Advancement
rmmahoney@cns.gov